Academic Video Online

Academic Video Online is the most comprehensive video subscription available to libraries. It delivers more than 62,000 titles spanning the widest range of subject areas including anthropology, business, counseling, film, health, history, music, and more. More than 17,000 titles are exclusive to Alexander Street, all with a predictable annual cost.

Curated for the educational experience, the massive depth of content and breadth of content-types (such as documentaries, films, demonstrations, etc.) in Academic Video Online makes it a useful resource for all types of patrons, giving libraries a high return on investment.

Researcher use of video almost doubled from 2014 to 2017

According to a recent ProQuest survey, video experienced the most dramatic increase in popularity among researchers of all content types. In 2015, only 39% of respondents were using video in their research. In 2017, use climbed to 71%, confirming the anecdotal evidence we’ve all seen. Download the whitepaper to learn more.

* Please Note: Titles counts are subject to change. Territory restrictions apply. Individual videos may be accounted for in multiple categories in order to accurately represent the disciplines they support. Browse for more discipline search options.

Build by Choice (perpetual rights)

At the end of each subscription term, your entire subscription cost is automatically applied towards owning perpetual rights to your choice of videos. Most films offer this option, and you can utilize an entire year of usage data to make selections. The longer you subscribe, the more titles you own. All title selections must be completed by 12/31 of the calendar year of your renewal.

Media hosting

Free and EXCLUSIVE to Academic Video Online subscribing libraries only. Upload an unlimited amount of locally produced streaming content, or content you've licensed from other vendors, and make it visible to anyone you specify. Librarians set permissions, add metadata for discoverability, and permanently link content to their catalogs. Learn more.

Top partnerships

The collection represents content from over 800 leading distributors, producers, and filmmakers. Some of the top names include:

60 MINUTES / CBS

A+E Networks’ HISTORY®

PBS

BBC

Royal Shakespeare Company

Now You Know Media

Documentary Educational Resources (DER)

Microtraining

Envision, Inc.

Stanley Milgram

Dallas Telecourses

Davidson Films

VEA

Bloomberg

Intelecom

Annenberg Learner

Major exclusive partnerships include 60 MINUTES and Microtraining Associates. In addition, we provide thousands of titles from producers like the Healthy Learning, Now You Know Media and Danish Radio that are unique to Alexander Street.

We offer:

The most titles. This database includes substantially more content than any other resource available. Topics are covered in more depth, and editors cover every aspect of the field.

The best titles. Exclusive titles and series are included like The Videofashion Library, The March of Time Newsreel Series, Obedience(Milgram), and the full set of Microtraining titles. Additionally, we have thousands of curricular titles produced specifically for the education market to be used in instruction.

Departmental landing pages and subject functionality. Each major subject has a unique URL that allows departments to conduct searches specific to their fields. Plus, users can search and browse with subject-specific indexing. For example, users can browse titles by ethnic group in anthropology or by performer in dance. Click here to take a look.

Video advisory board

Meet the video advisory board that contributes its expertise to the development of our high quality video collections.

Learning and search tools

In addition to the breadth and depth of content, Academic Video Online offers a wide range of platform tools for learning, research, and teaching, including:

Learning segments. More than 14,000 learning segments make it easy for instructors to find and integrate specific video content into the classroom and help users get to the right content faster. Each segment is fully searchable and includes an abstract, making user selection even easier.

Testimonials

The case for acquiring Academic Video Online is compelling. First, annual costs are predictable. Just as important, the company’s Build-by-Choice approach means that “at the end of each subscription term, your entire subscription cost is automatically applied towards owning perpetual rights to your choice of video titles,” with that year’s usage data informing the selection process. The longer an institution subscribes, the more titles it will own outright.

Academic Video Online provides a vast database of film and video clips from documentary, newsreel, entertainment, and television sources. The range of material is broad and deep... The thematic range and temporal span make the collection relevant to many disciplines, courses, and student levels.